A Promise to Break
by Akatsuki Child
Summary: What if Thalia had made it to camp? She starts to fall in love with Luke, and Luke becomes less bitter every day. But when Thalia finds herself in a bad situation, she makes Luke promise her something, a promise that he can't keep.
1. Saved

**This is my first attempt at a Thuke story. Hopefully it turned out okay!**

**Enjoy and review please!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO!**

**----**

**Chapter One—Saved **

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"Are we there yet?" A seven-year-old Annabeth asked.

Luke resisted the urge to smile. "Not quite," He replied. Annabeth in turn huffed, crossed her arms, and fell back against her seat. Thalia smirked before turning back to look out the window of the train.

Grover, on the other hand, was shuffling his feet nervously. He held a worried, anxious look on his face, like he was waiting for something to happen.

Luke noticed this and his amused demeanor instantly fell. "What's wrong, Grover?" He asked.

Grover gave a nervous bleat and said, "I smell monsters,"

Luke's brow furrowed, and his hand subconsciously itched towards his sword on his hip. Annabeth sat up nervously and glanced between Grover, Thalia, and Luke.

"Hey, guys," Thalia suddenly said. "I think I see…" She put her hands up against the window and squinted her eyes to try and see the strange figure running in the distance. Suddenly, it started running towards them, aimed for the window that Thalia was looking out of.

Her eyes widened, and she quickly turned and shoved Luke to the ground.

"Hit the floor!" She yelled on the ground, just as something smashed through their window, showering them with glass.

Thalia looked up at the creature and gasped. "No way…that's--"

"The Python," Luke finished for her, his eyes wide. The monster stared hungrily at Thalia with its yellow eyes and slit pupils.

Annabeth gasped, and Grover dropped his pipes that he had taken out from his pocket.

Luke came to his senses and hauled Thalia up from the ground. He stood in front of her and took out his sword while Thalia took out Aegis and her spear, and Annabeth bravely unsheathed her knife.

The Python hissed and swatted his tail at Annabeth, but Thalia stepped in the way and blocked the lash with her shield. Luke dove towards the monster, trying to stab at it, but the Python kept snapping at him with his huge sharp teeth.

"What's going on in here?" A person who worked on the train asked, coming in through a door. He took one look at the huge monster then turn and ran with a frightened yelp. A minute later, the train abruptly started slowing down, which sent the four kids and the monster flying forward.

They crashed into the wall and fell to the floor in a daze.

"We have to get out of here," Thalia said, getting to her feet. She grabbed Luke's hand and dragged him over to Annabeth and Grover. "We'll have to leave through the window,"

"You mean jump?" Luke asked dubiously.

"Yes, jump! The monster should be pretty dazed enough that we can get away and find a car,"

Luke stared at her for a second, deciding if this was the best they could do. Thalia rolled her eyes.

"Grover, you and Annabeth go first, now!" She commanded. Grover nodded, tucked Annabeth close to his chest, and leaped out the window.

Thalia grabbed Luke's hand. "Ready?"

Luke nodded, and they jumped. They hit the ground hard and started tumbling over each other. They elbowed and kicked each other until finally they rolled into Grover and Annabeth.

Thalia ended up with her legs on Grover's hip and her head on Luke's stomach. She groaned and sat up.

"Is everyone okay?" She asked, but just got grunts and groans for answers.

"Some plan," Luke muttered, standing up and helping everyone get to their feet.

"Like you had a better one," She glared at him.

Suddenly, they heard sniffing, and the three turned to look at Annabeth. She was sitting on the ground and cradling her arm. Blood was running down her forearm because of a piece of glass that had cut her. The glass shard was still embedded in her arm.

Thalia winced as Luke bent down in front of Annabeth and gently took her arm.

"Hey," He cooed. "It's okay, but I need you to hold still," He then very swiftly pulled the piece of shard out of her arm, and she cried out in pain. The piece of glass was rather large. It was slightly bigger than a bottle cap.

Luke then tore a part of his shirt off and tied it on her arm. "There. Good as new!" He smiled at her. She sniffed and gave him a small smile.

Thalia smiled a bit, but then she saw the train in the back ground and saw the Python slither on top of the train, and her smile fell.

"Guys, we have to go," She said.

They started running towards New York City. Just as they tried to get a taxi, they heard screams, and part of a building not far from them crumbled to the ground. From around the corner came Cyclops that was at least eight feet tall.

Grover gave out a nervous bleat and Luke shuddered. He remembered when they ran into a Cyclops earlier and he had tricked all of them.

"Not good," Grover muttered. He hailed a taxi and pushed the three of them into it before climbing in himself. He told the driver where to go and to step on it, and they sped away towards Camp Half Blood.

Thalia looked back out the window to see the Cyclops looking around for them. Thalia grimaced and sat back down while nervously rubbing her bracelet that turned into Aegis.

Luke was nervous as well. He was bouncing his knee up and down, and he had a firm grip on the hilt of his sword.

Finally, after about ten minutes, they made it to the bottom of the hill. However, monsters started coming out of nowhere.

The four pulled out their weapons and started sprinting towards the camp. Something grabbed onto Thalia's ankle, and she stumbled to the ground. The monster that had grabbed her shrieked and started pulling her towards itself.

"Grover!" Luke shouted. "Get Annabeth out of here! I'll get Thalia!"

Grover was torn between following Luke's wishes, and doing his duties.

"Go!" Luke shouted, and Grover obeyed him. He took Annabeth's arm and continued sprinting up the hill.

Luke turned towards Thalia and slashed at the monster, killing it instantly. He pulled her up, grabbed her hand, and they sprinted up the hill. They dodged many monsters and slashed at them, but there were still too many.

Suddenly, Thalia stopped and yanked her hand out of Luke's grasp.

"What are you doing?!" He asked.

"They're after _me,_ not you! I'll stay and fight them off while you get to camp!" She explained as she vaporized another monster.

"No way," He said. "It's either all of us or none of us," He then stuck his sword in its sheath and swiftly picked Thalia up and threw her over his shoulder and started running towards camp again.

"Luke!" Thalia screamed. "You can't--"

"I'm not letting you die like this, Thalia!" Luke shouted back to her. "I'll run, you kill monsters!"

Thalia said nothing, but nevertheless did as he said.

They were very close to the boundary line when suddenly a monster lunged at them and hit them. The momentum sent the two demigods past the boundary line where they rolled and tumbled down hill, scratching themselves up until they finally stopped.

Thalia realized that she was lying on top of Luke, but she didn't care. She was just glad to be alive.

Luke was gasping for breath as he sat up and pulled Thalia next to him.

"See?" He said with a small smile. "We both made it."

Thalia smirked and gave him a huge hug. "Thank you," She whispered as he returned the hug.

Just then, Chiron came trotting up to them in centaur form with Grover and Annabeth following him. Luke pulled Thalia up and the two looked at him.

"Thalia, daughter of Zeus, and Luke, son of Hermes, welcome to Camp Half Blood,"

---

Chiron gave Luke, Thalia, and Annabeth a quick tour of the camp before he led them to the Big House.

"There's something we need to talk about…" Chiron said. "Grover, why don't you take Annabeth to meet her brothers and sisters,"

"Okay," Grover agreed and led Annabeth to the Athena cabin.

"So…" Thalia started awkwardly. "What did you want to talk about?"

---**FIVE MINUTES LATER---**

"So, let me get this straight. The next child of the Big Three to turn sixteen will either save or destroy the gods?" Thalia asked. Chiron nodded. "But then that would mean…"

"You," Chiron finished for her.

"But it's not like there's a war going on right now! It can't possibly be me!"

"A lot can happen in four years, child,"

Thalia let that soak in. There was just _no way_ that she could either make or break the gods.

"The best we can do is train and prepare you for when the time comes," Chiron sighed. "But for now, you should go to your cabins and rest up until it is time for dinner,"

Luke, who had been silent through the whole thing, nodded and dragged Thalia outside where she then exploded and started rambling, throwing in a cuss every now and then.

"I can't believe that shit! There's no frickin' _way_ it could be me! That prophecy is probably bullshit anyways! I mean really! Why would the gods need help? They're--"

"Thalia!" Luke shouted, grabbing hold of her shoulders. "Relax," He said soothingly. "We have four years until you turn sixteen. Don't waste it by worrying,"

Thalia took a deep breath and relaxed instantly. "You're right. I'll try not to worry _too_ much," She smirked, causing Luke to smirk back.

"I'll see you at dinner," He chuckled and ruffled her hair a bit before turning to go to the Hermes cabin.

She watched him walk away before smiling to herself and going her own way to the Zeus cabin.

----

**Did I spell the name of Thalia's shield right? Please let me know if I did.**

**Thanks for reading and please review! If I get 10 reviews I'll update tomorrow!!**

**Review!**

**--Akatsuki Child**


	2. Luke

Chapter two!! Yay!!

**I would have updated sooner, but I was gone for three days.**

**Oh, and there's not as much Thuke in this chapter, but there will be in the next.**

**Enjoy and review!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO!**

**----**

**Chapter Two—Luke **

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The next day, Thalia found herself watching a volleyball game between some satyrs and a few campers. Surprisingly, the satyrs were creaming the campers.

During one rally, a satyr spiked the ball and it rolled towards her. While the satyrs rejoiced about winning the point, a disappointed guy lifted his arm at her and motioned for the ball. She tossed the ball up and hit it towards him.

The force behind the ball caught the kid of guard and he stumbled back. He stared at Thalia in surprise. He shook his head and walked up to her.

"Hey," He started. "You're Thalia, right?"

Thalia looked at him with suspicion. "Yeah…and you are?"

"Dustin from the Athena cabin,"

"Ah, one of Annabeth's brothers,"

"Yeah," He chuckled. "Say, we need some help beating these satyrs, and you have a wicked hit. Do you want to play with us on our team?"

Thalia shrugged. "Sure, why not?"

Dustin pulled her to her feet and they stepped into the sand pit.

"Okay," Dustin said to her. "You'll be playing up front and spiking the ball. Think you can handle it?"

Thalia snorted. "Of course I can,"

"Alright, then let's play! It's our serve,"

Dustin tossed the ball to a girl in the back who was serving. She tossed it up and hit it over the net. The satyrs passed, set, and spiked the ball, and a camper dove towards the ground to hit it up. Dustin set it for her, and Thalia jumped up and smacked over the net with deadly force, and they won the rally.

At first, the satyrs were stunned, but then they became fierce, and the game was on.

----

Luke had just gotten up and had stepped out of the cramped Hermes cabin. Once outside, he gave a sigh of relief. It was so crowded in there it was hard to even breathe. But he would have to deal with it, because whether or not he liked it, Hermes was his father.

Luke clenched his fists. Just thinking about his father made him angry. He knew that Hermes didn't care for him. If he did, he would have helped him when he was still on the streets.

"Did you even care that I was scared? Did you even know when I finally ran away?"

"Luke, I care very much, but gods must not interfere directly in mortal affairs. It is one of our Ancient Laws. Especially when your destiny…"

That was something that bothered Luke. His father kept saying things about his destiny, and by the tone of his voice, it didn't sound good.

"_Perhaps you can defeat the Hydra, or steal the apples of Hesperides. You will get a chance to be a great hero before…"_

"_Before what? What did my mom see that made her like this? What's going to happen to me? If you love me, _tell_ me."_

"_I cannot."_

"_Then you don't care!"_

Why wouldn't his dad tell him? What was going to happen to him?

"_Perhaps you can defeat the Hydra, or steal the apples of Hesperides. You will get a chance to be a great hero before…"_

Hmm, steal the apples of Hesperides…

_Well,_ Luke thought bitterly. _It's better than staying here._

He made his way towards the Big House, intent on finding Chiron to get permission for a quest, but when he passed the volleyball court, he saw Thalia laughing and having a good time, and he became less tense.

That was just the effect that Thalia had on Luke. He considered her his closest friend, and he cared about her very much. She was really the only one who knew what he was thinking, what he was feeling. She probably knew more about him than his father did.

Luke glanced towards the Big House then back at Thalia. He sighed, and continued making his way to the building, but then someone called his name.

"Hey, Luke!" Connor Stoll, one of Luke's brothers and the twin of Travis Stoll, shouted as he ran to Luke.

"Yeah?" Luke asked.

"Travis and I are planning a little…_event_ tonight, and we need some…supplies…do you want to help us get some stuff from the Camp's shop?"

"And of course by 'get stuff' you mean steal, right?"

"Yup,"

Luke stared at the Big House then glanced back at Thalia. He remembered something that she had said once when they were fighting a monster.

"Luke! Stop being so reckless! Just take a deep breath and relax!"

Luke sighed. _She's right,_ he thought. _I just need to calm down._

He smirked at Connor. "Okay, I'm in,"

----

After twenty minutes, Dustin and his team were behind the satyrs by one point. If the satyrs got the point, they would win. But if Dustin's team got the point, they could possibly come back and win this thing.

Everyone was drenched in sweat as the sun rose higher in the sky and the heat became more intense.

"Time out!" Dustin called and the team came together.

"So what's the plan?" A girl asked.

"Well…" Dustin started weakly. "Umm…"

"We should make them work a little bit," Thalia interjected. "Tire them out before we go in for the kill. Just kind of be reckless when you hit it over, but not too reckless that it could cost us the game."

"Good plan," Dustin said and looked at everyone with confidence. "We can do this, guys! We can't loose to these satyrs anymore! Hands in,"

Everyone put their hands in and Dustin said,

"Team on three! One, two, three, TEAM!"

They broke apart and went back to their positions. A satyr served the ball over the net onto their side, and Thalia hit it up into the air. Dustin set it, and some kid ran up and hit it over the net to the back end of the court. The satyrs passed, set, and spiked it over, but a girl dove for it and the cycle repeated.

This went on for some time before Thalia finally decided enough was enough. When Dustin set the ball, she ran up and spiked it to the ground, and they got the point.

Everyone on their team cheered for her as the point tied the game up. Now they just needed two more points, and it was their game.

It was their serve, so the girl that usually served hit it over the net, and the satyrs returned it.

Thalia jumped up and blocked it, and the satyrs couldn't quite get to the ball fast enough, so they got another point.

"Come on, guys! Just one more!" Dustin cheered as the satyrs grumbled.

The ball was served, and the satyrs returned it with a spike. Someone passed it up, Dustin set it, and Thalia whacked it over the net to the back end of the pit. It bounced on the ground and rolled away somewhere, but the question was: did the ball stay in?

Everyone ran over to look at the spot where the ball hit…and the ball had barely touched the line, so it was in.

"We won!" Dustin cheered with a laugh. Thalia smiled and celebrated with everyone else. Meanwhile, the satyrs were grumbling, muttering how it was 'unfair' because 'they had that Zeus girl.'

"That was a great game!" Dustin said to Thalia. "Thanks for helping us!"

"Glad I could help," She replied with a grin.

"Hey, does anyone know where the ball went?" Someone asked.

"I think it rolled off towards the beach," Dustin replied.

"I'll go get it," Thalia volunteered.

"Okay,"

So, Thalia walked down to the beach. She found the ball sitting close to the shore. She went over and grabbed it, but she heard a giggle. She looked into the water and saw Naiads smiling and waving at her.

She pursed her lips and turned around. She didn't necessarily like Naiads. They were just bad flirts.

She walked back to the volleyball courts and gave them their ball.

"I have to go, so I'll see you guys later," Thalia said.

"Okay," Dustin said. "Thanks again!"

Thalia waved to them and started making her way towards her cabin.

_I wonder what Luke's doing…I haven't seen Annabeth or Grover, either._

She passed by the Big House and the Camp's store, but she stopped in her tracks and stared at the people sneaking out from the door of the store. The two guys were snickering and laughing while carrying a bunch of random stuff. The two guys stopped, though, when they saw Thalia.

"Luke?!" She asked incredulously. "What are you doing?!"

"Oh, Thalia, hi!" Luke said nervously. "I was just...uh…helping…Connor…" His voice got quieter as he finished his sentence.

She just raised a brow.

"Please don't tell on us," Connor pleaded.

"What are you going to do, anyways?" Thalia inquired curiously.

"Travis and I are going to raid the Aphrodite cabin because they sprung a trap on us,"

"Aphrodite's kids? Seriously?"

"Well, they had some help from the Athena guys,"

"Why aren't you raiding them?" Luke asked.

"We would if we could, but they always have something planned and we can never get them. Although…it is fun to watch them get mad…" He trailed off and stared into space like he was forming some sort of plan.

"Fine, I won't tell," Thalia said.

Connor cheered. "Come on, Luke. Let's go put this in our cabin."

Luke nodded. "I'll see you later?" He asked Thalia.

She nodded, and he smiled. "See you,"

"Bye,"

Luke went off and followed Connor while Thalia continued on her way to her cabin.

----

An hour later, Thalia found herself sprawled out on the floor. It was so damn _hot_. It wasn't that bad earlier, even when she was playing volleyball.

She huffed. _I am _not_ going to stay here and die of a heat stroke. _

She got up, her shorts and t-shirt sticking to her body, and made her way to the beach.

When she got there, she saw she wasn't the only one with this idea. There were other campers swimming, and even some of the Aphrodite kids came out with beach towels to lay out in the sun and tan.

Thalia stepped into the surf so the water came up to her lower thighs. She sighed with relief and stared out at the clear, blue, sparkling water. She was thinking about the prophecy and how she would have to make a big decision.

"A lot can happen in four years, child,"

A lot _can_ happen in four years.

_But…_Thalia thought worriedly. _What if something bad happens _now?

"Thalia!" Someone shouted from behind her, scaring her and causing her to yelp. She jumped and accidentally stepped on a Naiad. The Naiad screamed and pushed Thalia's legs, causing Thalia to trip and fall in the water.

Thalia broke the surface, sputtering water and trying to catch her breath. The Naiad glared at her, splashed her just for good measure, and then swam away.

Thalia turned to the shore and glared murderously at the person who started this.

Luke was standing there, shaking with contained laughter. He was trying not to smile but failed miserably.

"You think this is funny?" She asked in a dangerously low voice.

"Yes," Luke squeaked out, and then doubled over in laughter.

Thalia advanced on him slowly then grabbed his arm and yanked him into the water. He went under for a second before popping up, coughing and glaring at her.

"Oops," She said innocently and started laughing.

Luke smirked and grabbed her around the waist before bringing both of them under water. Thalia squirmed around and broke the surface laughing. He came up a second later, grinning and laughing. She splashed him with water, and he splashed her back.

And so, the splash war began.

They dodged water and even tackled each other once or twice. One time, Luke splashed a little too hard and the water went up to the shore and got an Aphrodite girl. She squealed something about her hair, and ran off. This just caused Luke and Thalia to laugh even harder.

_Well,_ Thalia thought as Luke smiled at her. _I guess the heat isn't _that_ bad._

----

**So? Was it good? I worked hard on this! I even put some flashbacks from The Last Olympian when Luke sees Hermes.**

**I think Luke was a little OOC at the end, but I still like it :D**

**I re-read the last book, and I have a newfound respect for Luke. I really like him now, next to Percy :D**

**Anyways, REVIEW please!!**

**--Akatsuki Child**


	3. Fight

**Finally! Yay! Woo hoo! And all that jazz…**

**Sorry for the wait!**

**Enjoy and review please!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO!**

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Chapter Three

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As the day went on and as the day became evening, the intensity of the heat dwindled down. Thalia and Luke sat beside each other on the beach, watching the sun set.

Luke wanted to tell Thalia about his plans to go on a quest, but there were two reasons why he hesitated. One, he was afraid of her reaction. Had he not just told _her _that she needed to relax? She would just think he was a hypocrite.

The second reason was he was still thinking about it. Whenever he thought about his father, he had a strong urge to prove himself a hero, to prove that he didn't need Hermes. But then he would see his friends, and he would calm down and he could think clearly.

So Luke came to the conclusion that he was stuck in a rut.

Thalia saw the conflict on his face, and she knew something was bothering him. But at the same time, she had seen that expression a lot since they left his mother's house. She was afraid to ask him what was wrong because she didn't want to upset him, but she cared about him and didn't want to see him suffer.

"Luke?" She asked. "Are you okay?"

"Huh?" He replied. "Oh…Yeah, I'm fine."

"Oh, okay. You sure?"

He chuckled once and nudged her should. "Yes, I'm sure. You don't need to worry about me."

"Yes, I do, because even _you_ don't worry about yourself, and if you don't, someone else has to."

"I don't want—or need—people fretting over me, especially you."

Thalia frowned. "I'm your friend, and friends care about each other, so I care whether you like it or not."

She then gave him a look that dared him to say otherwise. Luke just pursed his lips and looked back at the sky.

Thalia studied his face and the way his eyes seemed miles and miles away. His mouth was set in a hard line, and his body was tense. His overall facial expression was stern and brooding, and even bit bitter.

"Is it about your father?" Thalia asked quietly.

"Could you just drop it?" He demanded harshly.

Thalia huffed. "Fine! How about I just leave so I don't bother you at all?!" She shouted back. She quickly got up and stomped off towards her cabin.

"Thalia!" Luke shouted, running after her. "Wait! I'm sorry!"

"_Just drop it," _She mimicked bitterly. He grabbed at her arm and pulled her to a stop. Being two years older than her, therefore being stronger, Luke was able to keep a grip on her as she squirmed and struggled to get loose.

"Look," Luke said. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you. I just…that was the first time I've ever seen my father,"

Thalia stopped squirming and stared up at him. By this time, it was dusk, and the last rays of light cast and eerie shadow across Luke's face.

"When I was a kid, I had to deal with my mom's fits by myself. He never helped me, not even when I was on the streets. After fourteen years, I finally see him…and, well, things didn't exactly go peachy."

Suddenly, Luke felt something hit his chest. He looked down and saw Thalia clinging to him. Her face was buried in his chest and her arms were wrapped around him.

"Thalia…?"

"It's okay, Luke!" She exclaimed though her voice was muffled. "I'm here for you! Annabeth and Grover are, too!"

He smiled and hugged her back. "I know. Thank you."

"You know, if it makes you feel any better, I've only talked to my dad a couple times." She sniffed. There was a slight rumble in the sky, and Luke laughed. It was a deep rumble in his chest that shook Thalia. She smile. She liked being with him, and he usually put a smile on her face, even if he didn't say anything. His presence alone lit her up.

They stayed like that for a while before pulling back. When they did, Luke noticed the smallest of details about Thalia. Like the way her black hair seemed more tamed than usual. Like the way her eyes gleamed with happiness when she looked up at him. Like the way her smile seemed brighter and wider than usual.

He grinned back at her. "You should get to bed," He said.

She stuck her tongue out at him before abruptly turning on her heel and heading to her cabin. She looked over her shoulder and said back to him, "You should, too. It's been a long day."

"I think I'll follow your advice."

She nodded. "Night, Luke." She said and turned back to walk to her cabin.

Luke stared after her. "Good night, Thalia." He whispered to nobody and made his way to his cabin.

The facts were these: one, Luke was undoubtedly falling in love with Thalia. Two, Thalia herself was already in love with him.

Luke just didn't know that last one.

----

When Luke stepped into his cabin, he was immediately ambushed by his brothers Travis and Connor.

"Where were you, man?!" Travis demanded.

"None of your business," Luke replied smartly. "What do you want?"

"Are you going to help us raid the Aphrodite cabin?" Connor asked this time.

"Oh, no,"

"But—"

"No buts! I only said I would help you get supplies. Besides, I'm too tired."

Connor sighed. "Fine. C'mon Travis, it's just us tonight." His frown quickly turned into a smirk as he helped his brother grab the stuff. The two left and Luke sighed. "Idiots," He muttered and some of his family, who had heard him, laughed.

Luke walked to his corner where he slept and sat against the wall. He was still contemplating whether he should ask Chiron for a quest or not. He wanted to show his father, to prove himself, but…

…but at the same time, he didn't want to leave Thalia. He felt this strange connection with her tonight when they were talking, and he had never felt it before. He couldn't think of a word to describe it, but it was something new to him.

He sighed. _'I'm too tired. I'll think about it tomorrow…'_ And with that thought, he drifted off to sleep.

Meanwhile, Thalia had lay down on her bed and stared at the ceiling. The silence of her cabin bit into her mind and nipped at her skin like ice. She became restless, and soon she was fidgeting like a pig about to be slaughtered. She huffed and picked herself up from the bed. She stepped outside and sat down against her door. The sounds of the crickets and the giggling wood nymphs and Naiads calmed her and she was able to relax.

But then she thought of Luke, and she tensed up again.

"_Yes, I do, because even you don't worry about yourself, and if you don't, someone else has to."_

"_I don't want—or need—people fretting over me, especially you."_

Thalia shook her head. "That boy needs to learn that he has friends that'll help him," She mumbled, the words drifting from her mouth and disappearing into the night air.

"_Thalia! Wait! I'm sorry!"_

"Just drop it,"

"Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell at your. I just…that was the first time I've ever seen my father,"

Thalia sighed. _'Is he really that upset about his father?'_

She looked up into the clear, star-filled sky and once again sighed. She continued to fret over Luke, and soon she fell asleep.

----

**There you go! I HOPE to have chapter four out within two weeks. **

**Constructive criticism welcomed! Review please!**

**--Akatsuki Child**


	4. Leaving

**OMG I finally took the time to update! All kidding aside, I'm deeply sorry that I haven't updated in a while. So I hope everyone likes this chapter!**

**Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO!**

**----**

**Chapter Four—Leaving**

----

The next morning, Thalia woke up to chuckling.

She blinked and looked up to see Luke squatting next to her, smirking at her. She was a bit confused. First of all, why was Luke laughing at her? Second of all, why was it _so damn bright?_

"Wake up, Sunshine," Luke joked. Thalia groaned and sat up. That's when she realized she was outside. She had fallen asleep outside.

Well she felt silly.

She glared at Luke and got up. She went into her cabin and changed her clothes. She hoped Luke would be gone—come on, it was pretty embarrassing to have a guy find you sleeping outside—but fate was not being kind to her. She sighed as she opened the door and found Luke grinning like an idiot at her.

"Want to go get some breakfast?" He asked.

She sighed again. "Yeah. Sure."

And so the two went to the dining pavilion where there was a big breakfast waiting for them. They sat down and dug in right away.

"Thalia?" Luke started around a bite of toast.

"Hmm?" She hummed as she dug into an omelet.

"I'm sorry about yesterday."

"You don't have to apologize."

"I know, but I just feel bad about yelling at you."

She smiled slightly and nudged his shoulder. "Is someone getting a little soft?"

Luke blushed a little, and he huffed. "No!" He then furiously dug into his eggs, avoiding all eye contact and conversation with Thalia while she just held a knowing smile on her face.

----

After breakfast, the two went to the beach. Luke was very quiet. It was rather unnerving, and Thalia was starting to get a little worried. She didn't say anything, though, the events that had occurred yesterday popping into her mind. If he had something to say, he would say it.

Luke, meanwhile, was having an inner fight. He had woken up quite early this morning, and he had been thinking about his need to get out of the camp, which brought him to his father's words.

"_Perhaps you can defeat the Hydra, or steal the apples of Hesperides. You will get a chance to be a great hero before…"_

Luke wanted—needed—to get out of this camp. If this was what he needed to do…so be it.

"I'm going to be leaving," Luke said bluntly.

Thalia's head snapped to him. "What?" She asked, surprised.

"I need to get out of here. I need to prove to my dad that I can do something amazing."

"Luke Castellan, that is crazy, even for you. You can't go."

Luke's eyes narrowed. She had never used his last name before. "You're not my mom."

Thalia bit back the remark she could have said, but instead offered, "At least, you can't go alone…"

Luke knew where this was going. "No. You are _not_ coming with me."

"You're not my dad."

Luke was getting frustrated now. How was it that this girl could bring out both the good and the bad in him? And why was this girl so persistent?

He sighed. "I can't let you come with me. What if something were to happen to you? I couldn't live with myself!"

"Don't you have any faith in my abilities as a fighter?"

"Of course I do, Thalia. You're an amazing fighter, but—"

"So then let me go with you."

Luke stared at the girl he was falling more in love with. Every minute he spent with this girl, he felt more alive, like he didn't need to impress anyone.

He sighed. "Fine, but if you get hurt—"

"I won't!" She exclaimed and gave him a big hug. His heart stuttered a bit, but he returned it nevertheless.

"When are we leaving?" She asked excitedly.

"Well, I'm going to talk to Chiron first. If he doesn't let us leave right away…we'll escape tonight."

----

Luke swallowed the slight doubt he felt and, with a brave face, swiftly entered the Big House.

"Why hello, Luke," Chiron greeted. He was in his wheelchair form, playing cards with some man Luke had never seen before. "Oh, right," Chiron started again after seeing Luke glance at the man. "You don't know who this is…this is Dionysus, god of wine."

Luke watched as the man merely ignored him. "Er…hi…" He said awkwardly. He then turned back to Chiron. "Listen, Chiron, I need to talk to you."

"As do I," Chiron replied.

"We know what you're planning," Dionysus spoke up, looking at Luke now. "And your father won't like that."

Luke gave a look of distaste as he sneered. "I could care less what my father thinks about it."

"You were right, Chiron, this boy has attitude. A rather annoying one at that…"

Luke glared at him. "How did you know what I was going to do?"

"I'm a god," Dionysus replied. "Duh."

Luke narrowed his eyes then turned back to Chiron. "I have to go."

Chiron sighed. "Yes, I know. And I know that if I don't let you go, you'll leave on your own anyways. I give you—and Thalia—permission to leave the camp to go on your quest."

Luke brightened considerably. He nodded and was about to leave when Chiron spoke again. "But first you have to consult the Oracle."

Luke stopped. "What? Who's the Oracle?"

Chiron shifted rather uncomfortably. "Well, it's more like _what_ is it…the Oracle gives you a prophecy. You must get your prophecy first before you leave."

"Okay…and where is this Oracle?"

"In the attic."

----

Ten minutes later, Luke found himself in the attic—alone—staring at the shriveled form that was the Oracle.

Hmph, Oracle…more like a hippie.

Now…what to say? "Er…hi. I'm Luke…um…I need a prophecy…" He said. "Please." He added as an afterthought. Maybe this thing wouldn't answer if he didn't use his manners…

He waited for something amazing to happen, like some flashes of his journey to come or something…

…but nothing happened.

He blinked. "Well that was anticlimactic…" He muttered to himself. He sighed and was about to turn to leave when suddenly green mist started to pour out of the things mouth. He started, alarmed, as the green mist started to curl around his feet. He swallowed the lump of fear in his throat.

Suddenly, he heard a whisper in his head, like snakes slithering. He blinked as it whispered again, only this time they were actual words.

_Two will go west to face the monster,_

_Who hoards the object of their desire,_

_One will face a horrible fate,_

_While the other is troubled with hate,_

_A promise that is made,_

_Shall be shattered with a charade._

Luke blinked, and when he opened his eyes again, the green mist was gone, and the whispering was out of his head.

Luke was taken aback by the prophecy. Horrible fate? That didn't sound too good…maybe he shouldn't take Thalia…

But he couldn't do that. He had told her she could come, and if he didn't let her, she would hate him forever.

And the whole part about a promise being shattered? What was that about?

Either way, it was a little creepy, and he just wanted to get out of the attic.

----

Later that day, after to talking to Chiron some more, he met up with Thalia.

"So…? How'd it go?" She asked nervously.

"He's letting us go." Luke replied.

She sighed in relief and smirked. "So when do we leave?"

Two hours later, Thalia and Luke found themselves meeting Chiron at the top of Half-Blood hill.

"I wish you all the luck in the world…oh, and Luke?" Chiron pulled something from his quiver (he was in his centaur form). It was a sword that was still in its sheath. He gave it to Luke.

Luke's brow furrowed. "What is this?" He asked as he pulled the sword out. He looked at it. It was made out of celestial bronze and it emitted a faint glow in the evening air.

"Its name is Anikitos. It's Greek for—"

"Invincible," Thalia interrupted, staring at the three-foot-long sword with a silver hilt.

Luke looked back up at Chiron. "What…how…"

"One of the Hephaestus kids made it and he didn't know what to do with it, so I thought you should have it."

"Well, thanks." He said, sheathing it and strapping it to his side. "I guess we should be off, then."

Chiron nodded. "Good luck," He said and trotted off back towards the camp.

Luke turned to Thalia. "Ready?"

She smirked. "Definitely."

* * *

**Not as much Thuke fluff as the other ones, but there WILL be more!! **

**Just to clarify, you pronounce Luke's sword like this: ah-nee-key-toes**

**:)**

**REVIEW please! Let me know how I did on the prophecy. I was stumped on that for like fifteen minutes, so I hoped it turned out okay.**

**REVIEW!**

**--Akatsuki Child**


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